Frost Bites Back
by Fairytale Warrior
Summary: Some idiot thought they could use a certain frost spirit to punish the Easter bunny, spirit of spring, for being companionable with one of summer's most despised enemies. With Aster imprisoned inside the bowels of a volcano, they think they're going to torture Frost right in front of him. They're wrong. Fem!Jack. !TW!: very failed rape attempt. No nudity. Nothing graphic.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing. (Technically)**

 **This is mostly an excuse to write a story about Bunny trying to pick up a situation that is completely beyond what he knows how to deal with. I also wanted a strong female lead so, sorry to Jack's manhood I guess?**

 **This is not a 'damsel in distress' story, btw.**

 **Hell has no fury like an enraged winter spirit.**

* * *

Most referred to it as hibernating regardless of the elemental or when their inactive season was. Each spirit, and even some more powerful sprites, needed this period to draw magic from the earth and replenish their depleted stores. The basics of these resting periods, knowledge that had once been so universal, had evolved in time with the ever-changing earth.

Wielders of summer grew stronger, hibernating for shorter periods of time as the decades passed and the dawn of a new century began. Pollution distributed by the humans dissolved walls, allowing the aggrandized spirits to expand their territories.

They tormented their fellow seasonals with burgeoning iniquity, bullying fall sprites and antagonizing winter – their only true enemy - at every turn. Spring, other than being bossed around, experienced very little of this misanthropic madness, often turning a blind eye to the events.

Mother Nature, whoever and wherever she was, never rose to arbitrate the sides and it wasn't long after the turn of the 1700s that an intransigent war between summer and winter began.

By the time Pitch Black attacked the Guardians, the war against summer had reached a low never before experienced. Jack – aka; Jackie, Jacqueline Frost, Jokul Frosti, Mother Winter, garrulous trickster and spirit of fun – was struggling more than ever.

Three winter spirit legends remained; one was on different planet, another had disappeared, and the third, well, that was Jack. She knew her appearance was a dissemble and that many still thought she was a boy. It wasn't something she could help much, though, because her body had stopped growing.

She was dead.

That much she'd always known.

Aside from exchanging her old trousers for a pair of silly booty-shorts and finding a more form-fitted sweater there was nothing she could do, and hell would open up before she gave up her pants.

In the end her more masculine appearance was what saved her the relentless attention she was now experiencing from the summer spirits. For about ten years both sprites and spirits slowly, yet viciously, wore her down. They occluded her annual aestivation, forcing her to seek small respite in occasional naps.

But a nap was not, and could never be, a suitable replacement for her aestivate.

Sooner or later, she'd fall.

If not for the debacle with Pitch, she might've held out for a few more years…

*-f-r-o-s-t-b-i-t-e-s-*

It'd been somewhere around mid-spring when Jackie had bedded down, sprawled across the branches of a huge redwood in Oregon and so tired not even a forest fire could move her. She'd become too accustomed to the absolute torpor around this time of the year but this was greater than normal. Consequently, she'd blamed the imperturbable exhaustion on Pitch's petty war and ignored the signs that would have warned her about an oncoming aestivation.

Later she'd realize her mistake and feel lambasted for it.

Now, she was swimming through the thick, heavy waters created by several weeks of undisturbed rest.

"-ack! Jac-!"

Someone was calling her. The voice – it sounded halfway between panic and rage. She must have done something wrong.

"-ou- …-to wake up!"

Tiny red flags stuttered upwards in her head. She knew that voice…

But she was confused; was this person a friend or an enemy? She couldn't recall.

She felt uncharacteristically phlegmatic even despite the red flags.

Jackie felt someone lift her legs up, resting her calves on shoulders she thought were strangely warm. Something pressed against the underside of her pelvis, angling it upwards a little. More flags stood up, these a brighter and more alarming red. Her body responded innately by dragging her closer and closer to consciousness, unveiling more troublesome stimuli along the way. Her head was aching, her saturated clothes were flush against her skin, and her muscles had turned into feeble rubber.

Distantly, she heard a growl, one heavy with rage. It sounded like a kodiak bear.

"Don't ya dare touch 'ah, ya piss faced larrikin!"

Ah.

Jackie only knew one person who used the word 'larrikin'.

What was Bunny doing here?

"Careful, _kangaroo,_ " someone sneered derisively, "She's already going to be punished on your behalf and we've all got years of experience torturing winter spirits here. You make anyone angry and we'll take it out on her."

The sound of something heavy throwing its weight against metal erupted from somewhere to her right, accompanied by another feral snarl. Vacuously, she thought Bunny's speaking voice was dissembling if he could growl like that.

Heat leaned over her like a physical weight, trapping her wrists on the ground above her head and starting to cook the flesh.

"Shame about her hair," a voice said directly above, startling the almost quiescent winter spirit. A gasp of surprise made her realize how difficult it was to breathe, and her head shot back. A tug on her sweater preceded the sound of cloth tearing. Hot, oppressive air billowed over her chest and, despite how soaked her undershirt was, did nothing to cool her down. "What with it being so short it's no wonder we all thought she was a dude for so long!"

"She's flat as a board, too," another agreed.

Soft lips moving feather-light up the column of her throat threatened to burn Jackie's skin. Her brain felt like cotton stuffing but was slowly, laboriously, coming together. Wriggling sleepily, Jackie furrowed her brows and would have tried to tuck her chin in if doing so didn't make breathing so much more onerous.

"Jacko, ya gotta wake up!" Bunnymund urged, "Come on, Frost!"

Foreign fingers trailed along her side, heading upwards over her shirt. The pain in her wrists continued to grow. Blue eyes, foggy with sleep, tried to make sense of the blurry world splintered between white eyelashes.

Her head was turned already. Hands had begun gliding up and down her torso, pain like a band aid being slowly torn off following every touch.

Eyes opening more she identified huge ears, gray fur smudged with ash, straining whiskers-

"Yes! Tha's it, ya almost there!" Why was Bunny here? "Just wake up, ya can do it!"

She was struggling to keep her eyes focused when a figure strolled into sight. It was easy to see the bars of Bunny's prison when something visually obviated them.

It was a djinn with a tail that tapered into a lazy tongue of flame and eyes that glowed like embers from a dying fire.

"Oh wow, look at that. She actually woke up," the summer spite commented. Smoke trailed out of his mouth. "Not that it'll help her though. Congrats, rabbit, you've made it all that much more traumatic for your _friend."_ He spat the last word out like it had personally done him wrong. "Who knew a guardian of hope could be so perfidious."

Throwing himself against the bars with an impetuousness that surprised Jackie, Bunnymund demanded; "Tha hell issat supposed ta mean?!"

As more and more sensation returned to her, Jackie's brain began gathering up the cognitive reins again. She just needed the strength the move, that was all. Getting out of the hold her would-be-rapist had pinned her with wasn't going to be difficult.

She'd make them regret moving her from her resting place more than they'd ever regretted anything.

"It _means_ sugar-tits over there is _supposed_ to be in the middle of hibernation. Given how desperately she probably needed it I can't imagine waking up would be a quick thing under normal circumstances. And, though winter spirits are famously strong, putting any inside a volcano like this one is sure to make 'em tipsy. I'd be surprised if Frosti could _stand_ ," the djinn scoffed, like Jackie was something specious and he'd just realized how ugly it was. A hand gripped her shoulder to keep her in place before sharp lips pressed against the pulse point on the side of her neck and a blazing tongue peeled across her skin. A gasp tore out of her, body flinching at the sudden wash of pain. Somehow, she managed to spot Bunny, trembling with rage, through watery orbs.

The djinn gestured to her, "Look at her eyes. She is _gone_. She has no idea what's going on or where she is right now. Frosti isn't going _anywhere_ anytime soon." The disgusting look of pleasure in the genie's eyes, the chauvinistic sneer on his ugly face, the obvious delight he got from watching such violating opprobrium would never be remembered fondly – not by anyone.

Dizzily, she looked back to Bunny.

"It's goin' ta be ok, Jacko," the irascible spring spirit's fur stood out a bit and his ears twitched. Green eyes held Jackie's with an estimable intensity, raw with the promise he'd made. "I ain't lettin' these yobbo's get away with this, ya hear? Don't be scared, yer gunna be fine." The djinn with amber eyes guffawed but, aside from the other summer sprites, was ignored.

Hazy blue eyes squinted at Bunnymund blankly, trying to recall when he had gotten here and why he hadn't done anything to help her.

Well, no use in waiting.

Panting loudly as the djinn at her neck worked with a bit more ardor, Jackie tossed her head, wriggling as though to scoot back, and the djinn pinning her down leant back to watch.

Perfect.

Navigating her left calf to the right side of his neck she arched off the ground, applying as much of her weight as she could into the leg. As she pushed him onto his back, she collected one of his hands. Keeping it pressed close against her chest she positioned his arm between her legs with his elbow over her pubic bone. Then she arched upwards again, this time bending herself farther. A swift popping sound emerged from the genie's arm shortly before the flash frozen joint snapped.

The winter spirit had moved so quickly she was like a rubber band that had suddenly been released.

Shock held the room in suspension. No-one daring to move as the angered woman stood, a dismembered arm clutched in her hand. The djinn at her feet made confused whimpering noises, trembling in terror.

Magma provided light that was, overall, rather insufficient. It happened to be just enough to illuminate the white clouds of perspiration as they unspooled from her shoulders.

When it began, there were three healthy summer sprites eager to be extolled for killing _the_ Lady of Frost and newest addition to the anachronistic guardians.

When it ended, one had died of frostbite, another had died of blunt force trauma to the head, and the third was left castrated, _wishing_ he were dead.

Jacqueline stood over the body of the proud djinn and found herself more confused than ever. Drops of water burned tracks down her back, dripped from her short shocks of white hair, emerged from open wounds like puss. The stiffened corpse at her feet had been mangled in ways only prolonged exposure to extreme changes in temperature could. Flesh had turned purple and black, diamonds of ice stuck to follicles of skin already trying to melt in the heat. The spirit's stomach had caved – or perhaps it had exploded outwards.

It was a bit difficult to tell given the remains.

A voice buzzed quietly in her ear but over time did not enervate and so the spirit suffering the consequences behind 300 years of sensory deprivation set aside the confusion of external stimuli in favor of understanding this one.

Turning took more coordination than she suspected it should have but when her vision cleared sufficiently it was to find one toasted looking E. Aster Bunnymund crouched on his haunches inside a rather austere cell.

Why was he here?

His mouth was moving and the sound of buzzing fit together like puzzle pieces, forming words after several seconds of Jackie's staring.

"-is okay, everything is gunna be ok," he was saying, eyes gleaming in the low light, "I'mma get ya outta here, Jackie, ok? But I need ya help ta get out of this cell first." The careful way he articulated, the slowness of his speech, would have offended her in normal circumstances. Given the state of her – the heat, the very severe exhaustion, the dehydration – she instead found him much easier to understand.

"They put up wards ta keep me from usin' ma tunnels," he continued, watching Jackie approach with twitchy whiskers. "Think ya could freeze these poles and break me out?"

Comprehension was slow and muddled with forgetful confusion – why was Bunny here? – but eventually, the melting frost spirit figured out what needed to be done and turned her back on Bunny. He quickly became frantic, though she spent no time trying to empathize.

Instead she sat down carefully beside the remains of the golden-eyed djinn, long legs curling delicately beneath her. While Bunny tried to talk her back over she rummaged around the body and eventually found what she was looking for in the remains of its clothes.

When she tried to get up again, Jackie found her legs unwilling.

Frowning, the winter spirit turned to squint at Bunny.

"What. What did ya find?" His ears and whiskers strained forward, nose twitching a little, and green eyes searching.

Jackie opened her mouth but couldn't get the words out and quickly gave up her attempted communication. The burdened spirit's focus was absolutely capricious now and it took longer than necessary to figure out why she needed to throw a key at Bunnymund and why that was so difficult to coordinate.

Almost as soon as the key left her hand she forgot about it, more intent on the struggle for air.

It was getting hotter.

Her body couldn't handle it for much longer.

Jackie's world was spinning, looping this way and that. Flashes of color, bright and distorted, left disturbing aches in her head. Chimes buzzed between her ears so fiercely she couldn't hear the clang of metal against rock or the approaching thud of footsteps.

She remembered a sudden breeze but couldn't recall how she came to be gripped in soft, furry arms, looking up into Bunnymund's desperate eyes.

He was speaking but she couldn't possibly hear him over the noise.

Why was it so loud?

Why was she so hot?

Why was….Bunny….her…e….?

* * *

 **Let me know if I need to change the rating to M.**

 **Next: there will be fluff.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I never said Bunny knew Jack was a girl.**

* * *

"Jack-Jackie!" The pooka warrior called with a new note of desperation in his voice. The saturated, heat-stricken winter spirit in his arms gave no reply to assuage Bunny's steadily growing concerns. "C'mon mate, this ain't tha time fer maligner!"

He gave him- _her_ a light shake but Jack's head simply lolled uselessly against his chest. "Bollocks," he muttered. Luckily, the over-confident idiots that had nabbed the two had placed Jack's staff where it was meant to taunt. Gingerly cradling the limp winter spirit with one arm he moved to the doorway and snatched it up from where it rested in plain view. He was likewise sure to gather his own possessions, tucking the frail, wooden relic into his bandolier and across his back.

Bunny was trying to figure out how to carry his precious charge into the tunnels with him, mind still reeling with the discovery that'd been made, when his acute hearing picked up the whimper from behind. It took all he had to ignore the suffering creature and disappear down a tunnel without indulging his rage.

He and Frost might not be best friends – or even friends at all, really – but watching something so de-humanizing happen right in front of him was below even Pitch. Bunny would be talking to Jack- _Jackie_ before giving them _all_ the details but he'd be sure to notify the other guardians.

Keeping his warm cargo close to his chest he loped sloppily through the long, winding corridor until breaking out into the warren. Relieved to be home he paused, taking in the florid sight and scent of healthy spring-time flora. His nose was in the air, ears perked, and he'd extended himself upwards a bit. Jackie shifted against his fur, breath still coming in short, egregious puffs of air.

With a curse the anthropomorphic rabbit moved forwards, acknowledging the expression of pain unfolded across the spirit's face. But then he faltered again. His original plan had been to clear out one of the storage rooms he used to preserve the eggs when the season came up. He glanced down again.

Jackson- no, _Jacqueline_ , very clearly had a fever – and a bad one at that. His- _Her_ muscles trembled with the stress of post-trauma, forced to perform a blend of movements they were too stiff to accomplish. With a wince, Bunny could only imagine her body had begun to cannibalize itself in an effort to supply her with enough energy. Swollen bubbles of flesh had blown up over her jugular and angry red lines crisscrossed young, white skin with wrinkled blemishes. Most of what he was looking at appeared to be little more severe than second degree burns but no-one knew the damndest thing about winter spirits and their anatomy.

Would putting her there be enough?

The best plan of action would have seemed to be taking her to North but what if she woke up again and reacted as she had to the summer sprites? The pole was tough but it couldn't grow itself back like the warren could. What's more was that Bunny had the most medical expertise of them all, not to mention the most eclectic connections to other seasonals.

Deciding it would be a sufficient place for now Bunny called a few golems to attention and set them to work opening up one of the freezers. While they worked he brought Jackie to the closest thing he had to an infirmary.

Finding a sufficient place he tapped his foot to create the softest bed of moss that he could and then used his magic to lift the earth up, forming a makeshift bed designed specifically for the winter spirit.

With a decorum he generally reserved for his eggs Bunnymund set Jack down, taking extra care with his- _her_ head (or was it _their_ head?). He quickly scrubbed up before gathering some sensicare antibacterial wipes, cloths, bandages, topical burn creams, some hemostats, and so on and so forth. Wheeling his supplies up next to the sleeping spirit he cast a luminosity spell on a sunflower beside the bed, using its light to assess the spirit's wounds.

He grabbed a large pair of medical scissors – designed for removing clothing – and then froze at another realization.

Frostbite was…

Jack was a _girl._

He hadn't quite believed it when the summer sprites had told him but he'd had enough time to put all the bits together before they'd hauled him - her! - in.

The truth was staring him in the face as it had then, made so obvious by how inundated with sweat she was.

Beneath the gray fur, Bunny was probably turning a nice, bright, cherry red.

He may very well end up just like those summer sprites if he tried this.

The obvious strain behind every breath fomented the Easter spirit's precipitated plan. Swallowing a mouthful of nerves he went ahead and cut off the poor girl's undershirt. Obtaining a towel he had left to soak in cold water he gingerly lay the cloth across her upper chest to give her some privacy.

A shaky sigh left him and he rubbed his paws together in hopes it would help his obdurate anxiety, feeling like a dilettante doctor once again.

When he was ready he angled the light more directly over Jack's head. Equipped with latex gloves and an apron, both intended to reduce the possibility of fur falling into the spirit's wounds, he carried on with his exam.

He used a saline wash to flush open wounds and propitiate swollen burns, revealing shriveled, white epicenters in some. Jackie wriggled a bit, frowning, hi- her heartrate picking up. Bunny murmured reassurances and paused when it seemed the pain had become too much for his patient.

The rabbit's ears twitched, green eyes sharp with anxiety. He'd heard that it was impossible to sedate a winter spirit for various reasons, among them; they kept freezing the meds. The likelihood of Jack being able to accomplish that in his state- no, no, _her_ state – was not particularly concerning.

What _was_ concerning, though, was how deep the meds may take her if they worked.

Leaning away to sigh clear of her wounds, he leaned back in with some antibacterial wipes and began gently sanitizing the burns.

"I know, I know," Bunny murmured, hoping his voice would mollify the little sounds of distress his patient was making. "Jus' hang in there, Frostbite, we're almost done. Just a bit longer. Yer doin' great." For the sake of Jackie's rest he finished cleaning quickly.

After, he applied generous amounts of a specially made topical analgesic around her open wounds and waited a moment to let the remedy to settle. Then, using a scalpel with a size 11 blade, he made lateral incisions on either side of the first open wound that needed attention, distally extending it to reveal the full damage. He wished he had someone here with him to help wipe away the blood as it spilled free. He used a pair of hemostats to hold the wound open then used a saline wash to clear away the blood.

Bunny used a curette to remove the underlying granulation, irrigated the injury with more saline, and removed surrounding eschar with the same scalpel. He sutured the wound closed and repeated the process at least three times on similar wounds.

When this was done he cleaned away all the topical analgesic and replaced it with a soothing topical burn cream he'd made with aloe vera, honey, and a bit of glucose. This same remedy was applied to all her burns. He dressed her wounds using burn-treatment bandages and then sat back on his haunches.

Green eyes scanned up and down the supine body before him, ears swiveled forward to catch the smallest of sounds, and whiskers twitching anxiously. When he was satisfied Frost had no untreated injuries Bunny turned down the exam light and checked in with an egg sentinel.

An hour had passed by this point and the room, being rather small, was just about ready.

Bunny knew he had some clothes around the warren somewhere but didn't want to take the time to search for them so instead he found a white sheet and wrapped it around Jackie. The pooka was sure to watch her face for signs of pain as he carefully navigated her into what he hoped was a comfortable position.

He had to wonder how often such iconoclastic idiots had tried to harass the young winter spirit before this incident. From what he'd heard it sounded like it was a regular thing, something almost perfunctory.

And that was something E. Aster Bunnymund did _not_ like.

Glancing down at his snoozing cargo he hoped there was enough trust between them to discuss the issue in detail when Jackie woke up.

*f.r.o.s.t.b.i.t.e.s*

Jackie knew even before she'd really woken that someone had moved her from her resting place and was immediately displeased.

In the unspoken list of things you shouldn't do to an elemental regardless of their season, moving them during their rest period was up there in the list of top five ' _don'ts'_.

Feeling far from her gregarious nature, Jackie let her anger propel her towards consciousness. When she opened her eyes it was to find herself in a dimly lit, windowless room. Sheaves of frost decorated the room, chilly perspiration unpeeling from the earthly walls like ghosts in a movie.

Her element breathed across her skin as smooth as gossamer silk and as firm as a hug from a loved one. It was a sublime feeling, one that calmed her down a little. The air was crisp and held a refreshing scent, one that reminded her of recent snowfall in Washington.

Turning her head she was awarded with a white wash of pain, centered on her by the pain and the flood of memories that followed it she threw out her hands in search. When she did not immediately find her staff she pushed herself up and, ignoring the loquacious pain, looked around the dome-shaped room.

Jackie found it leaning against the end of her bed beside a bowl of brightly glowing seeds and snatched it up before giving herself a quick once-over. Her wrists were bandaged – freshly, too – as was her neck. Underneath the patterned hospital gown she found someone had peppered special gauze pads – the kind humans made specifically for burns – along her stomach and sides. It was a huge relief to learn that someone hadn't stolen her pants as well as her undershirt.

Having said that, she still very much wanted her clothes back.

And, also, maybe to beat the hell out of whoever had kidnaped her.

Jackie carefully stood, eyes to the door. It looked very much like a safe door – the sort you'd find in old western movies. She assumed the lack of any wind meant she was underground which wasn't terribly encouraging. Taking one last look around the stolid room, she moved to take the first step towards the large metal door.

But, like a jenga tower, her body buckled. Jackie landed on her face with a pained grunt, finding her arms too heavy to operate in time to soften her fall. With repudiating limbs she clumsily rolled onto her side and cupped one hand around her nose.

The spirit's bones felt brittle and chalky, like they could barely support her. However, that didn't hold her down when she heard the sound of the door opening and advancing footsteps.

In a fashion that was paragon of someone in a more salubrious condition, the nimble frost spirit flipped over. Crouched on the ground like a feral animal she jabbed her staff upwards at the figure quickly approaching her.

"Oi!" the tall, floral-smelling intruder shouted in alarm as he narrowly escaped crushing his windpipe against the crook of Jackie's staff. "What do ya think yer doin, ya bloody gumby!"

Recognition sparked in her eyes when she identified tall ears, a diamond shaped face, whiskers, and gray fur. These sparks lit pre-existing kindling, igniting a fire colored by betrayal.

Jackie carefully furthered the distance between them, her posture an antonym to the word 'obsequious'. Bunnymund, meanwhile, grimaced a bit and visibly forced himself to relax. He sat back on his haunches, let his ears tilt back a little, and softened his expression.

"A'right, I know how this must look but give me a click to exculpate myself." Jackie didn't move, remaining disparately static and poised for attack. Bunny held up his paws in a gesture of peace, continuing; "Do ya remember what happened? With tha summer sprites?"

Slowly, Jackie nodded her head. She remembered Bunny being there.

"Ok, well, after you threw the key to my cell at me you passed out. Do you remember that?" Jackie searched her memories but found them to be too fuzzy. Not wanting Bunny to know, she prevaricated and nodded her head again. "I took ya back ta tha warren an' cleaned up yer wounds. After that I took ya here. It's almost October already," he said gently.

"What have you done with my shirt," she demanded, throat scratchy and words faint.

Bunny looked nervous.

"I, uh, had to cut it off-" Jackie readied a bolt of ice but before she could launch it the easter bunny quickly continued, "so I could treat yer wounds without hurtin' ya!" For a long moment she searched his eyes. "Please Jack- I mean, Jackie- I mean," watching Bunny stumble over his words so much was almost enough to make her smile. The huge rabbit sighed, looking defeated and ashamed, "I'd never do that ta ya. I'd never do that ta _anyone._ "

Jackie considered him for a moment longer before finally putting down her staff and lowering her battle stance. "Where am I?"

Bunny straightened, "Yer in one o' tha rooms I use fer my eggs before easter. It keeps 'em from spoilin' while I prep other googies."

Jackie looked around again. "So you mean a freezer?"

"Uh. Yeah."

"Huh."

Awkward silence.

"North made ya some new clothes. I put 'em at the end of tha bed," he gestured to them.

"You told them?" Jackie grunted, using her staff to push herself up. The inchoative pain had seeped past her burns and spread through her nervous system, making every movement difficult.

Bunny, thankfully, didn't try to help. He directed his attention to a procession of egglets carrying a tray between them while he spoke, "I only told them ya'd been attacked an' would be in tha' warren until ya woke up. They don't know any o' tha specifics yet." Grabbing the clay cup off the tray he thanked the creatures and sent them on their way.

Plopping down on the mattress and gingerly leaning over Jackie investigated the new additions to her wardrobe. North had given her a gray undershirt and a new hoodie. The fabric inside was downy and promised a comfort her old one had long since lost. Like its predecessor it sported a big kangaroo pouch and shared the same shade of blue. Putting the white stitching and larger hood aside, it wasn't that different and she found herself grateful.

Scratching at the back of his head Bunny sighed again, then sat down on the bed beside her. "What're yer pronouns?" he asked, handing her the cup.

A jolt of surprise made the girl jump. Jackie turned to her fellow guardian, feeling stunned and numbly accepted the offered drink.

"What?"

"I said what are yer pronouns. Are ya a girl, a boy, neither?" He shrugged, "I'm a bit behind on these things now days so I'm sorry for mis-gendering ya all these years."

Jackie managed a soft hum, eyeing the drink suspiciously.

Uncertain silence filled up a small hour-glass with several long seconds.

"It's an old family recipe," Bunny explained quietly, "It'll help the pain."

Glancing at him as though expecting to see a guile expression she turned back and took a sip when she was convinced he wasn't trying to trick her. The sour, tangy flavor was oddly soothing to her throat and made her skin tingle.

She took a few more sips, giving herself time to think.

"It's because of the hair-" she began, stopping when a voice cut through her mind.

 _"What with it being so short, it's no wonder we all thought she was a dude for so long!"_

"Frostbite?"

 _-"flat as a board, too"-_

"Ey," Bunny's voice snapped her out of it. His eyes held a softness she'd never seen in them before, one that made her feel like a child. "Ya don't have ta answer. Go at yer own pace, ok?"

Jackie straightened, a strength worth venerating in her eyes, "I'm a woman. But I don't particularly care about the opinions of others in regards to my gender. The summer sprites know I'm not a man so I doubt the rest of the world doesn't already know by now. Using masculine pronouns won't help me anymore. You can call me whatever you want."

"Jackie?"

"Hmm?" the drink, the cool breeze washing in from the door, the softness of the mattress- it all had a soporific effect on the teen. Surely winter could manage itself for a few hours longer, right?

"How long has this been goin' on?" Bunny's voice was soft and yet still firm enough to demand veracity.

The sleepy winter spirit hummed again, this time thoughtful. "A while, I guess," was her laconic response.

"How long is that?"

"Is like," she paused, trying to brush the cobwebs off her brain without success, "awhile while." The loopy effort to equivocate brought a small smile to Bunny's face. He opened his mouth to say something but cut himself off with a startled 'woah!'.

Jackie felt him grab her, her body having listed towards his. Bunny plucked the empty mug out of her hands and lifted her off the bed, muttering something about 'potency'.

"Whad'yu dotah'me?" she slurred, "yu drud me?"

"Only fer yer own good, Frostbite. Yer not done resting."

He laid her down, sliding a paw out from under her head to be replaced by a pillow.

Jackie realized her eyes had closed but made no move to open them, relaxing with a hugely relieved sigh. "Am ok," she murmured, feeling herself drift off.

"Ya will be," Bunny promised, "Ya'll be freezin' my ears together again before ya know it."

"Mm'hmm," replied the sleepy spirit, snuggling into the cool sheets.

The marks on her wrists and neck would be indelible, always there to remind her there was one spring spirit who wouldn't stand by and watch her get hurt.

She would forever be an independent and roughish spirit but that wouldn't stop her from sharing her ebullience with her closest friends.


End file.
